Spartans football rebuids character for 2012 season

Wednesday

Aug 22, 2012 at 3:30 PMAug 25, 2012 at 5:33 PM

Moberly varsity football coach Jason Ambroson enters his 12th year at the helm while owning a 59-61 overall record and guiding the program into the state playoffs seven times, including the last three years.

Chuck Embree, MMI Sports Reporter

Moberly varsity football coach Jason Ambroson enters his 12th year at the helm while owning a 59-61 overall record and guiding the program into the state playoffs seven times, including the last three years.

The Spartans finished at 5-6 as runner-up district champions in a MSHSAA playoff format allowing two schools to advance out of districts but it is no longer being used, and went 4-2 in the North Central Missouri Conference a year ago.

At face value, those two records would certainly be pleasing for many football fans.

But Ambroson knows the team could have been much better, and said he and his coaching staff are hopeful the antics and things that took place last season with the Spartans are clearly put behind them, buried and will never surface again.

Moberly's 2012 roster has 60 names attached to it, including 12 seniors and 16 freshmen. There are 17 returning lettermen, but only nine were starters.

"For us to make strides towards success, we must take care of the football, and make better choices in how we conduct ourselves both on and off the field. We had a whole lot of off the field distractions with some players and that really affected other kids on the team in different ways and even our coaching staff," said coach Ambroson. "Last year we must have set a school record in the number of fumbles, turnovers and penalties during a regular season. We were bad. Numerous times we entered the Red Zone and would cough up the football because we were not very well disciplined and as a result we did not put up very many points on the scoreboard."

Ambroson said Moberly's losing record of a year ago could easily have been turned around for the greater good providing better team discipline was in order. The Spartans were out-scored by its opponents by an average score of 19-16.

"We lost at least three if not four ball games due to turnovers, and lost countless of opportunities to advance the football due to penalties. If we had one less fumble against Osage, one less turnover against Boonville, and suffering through an early turnover that resulted in a score for Versailles, those three right there were losses instead of 3 wins. It was the difference to being a 5-5 record team that we were and being an 8-2 type of team coming out of district play."

"If we had that kind of record (8-2) toward the end of the regular season, who knows how that would have changed the attitude and desire of our players and just how far our team would have gone?" said Ambroson. "I sincerely believe this year we will be a better football team than last year. We have better team discipline, and knock on wood, we have not gone through the kind of off-the-field distractions that disturbed our program last year."

Ambroson's coaching staff remains intact with the exception of Jeff Engel, who once served with the program a few years ago and he returns this season to help coach the defensive secondary. Tony Stoneking and Sam Richardson have been by Ambroson's side all 12 years serving as defensive and offensive coordinators respectively. Victor Bell remains defensive line coach, and others are; Jason Hannam as wide receivers/defensive backs, Trent Tracy works with running backs and special teams, Kyle Schroer with tight ends, and Ryan McCluskey works with linemen.

Soon after the 2011 season was over Ambroson said he and his coaching staff quickly began to do what they could to re-build or better strengthen positive character values in their returning players and motivate them to make themselves better student athletes both on and off the field.

As a result, the Spartans will follow a "Work on You" mentality as a team slogan this 2012 football season.

Ambroson explains.

"I challenged the kids and wanted them to look in the mirror, asking themselves - "what do I want out of high school," "what do I want in being an athlete," "what do I want in terms of being a good teammate," "what do I want in terms of relationships with my coaches, my teachers, my parents, my family and my friends," said Ambroson. "We needed to strengthen and rebuild good character values and in doing that, everything else will fall into place. I wanted them to 'Work on You' and be a better person or individual."

"I sincerely believe and whole heartedly believe the kids on this team are good kids in school, among their friends, in this community and with their teammates. But we all can make adjustments taking extra steps and precautions to make ourselves a better person and be more accountable toward one another," said Ambroson. "That's the kind of message I want to get across."

Ambroson said the overall strength in this year's football program lies with the defensive unit where five returning starters will line up.

Junior Colton Tremain (6'2, 232) is a returning OLB/TE who led the Moberly defense with 112 total tackles (72 solo) and 8.5 sacks as he had a nose for the ball carrier. This kind of ability awarded Tremain in earning Class 4 third team All-State honors along with first team recognition in the conference and district.

Moberly's next group of leading tacklers returning is junior lineman Jeff Kinder (6'2, 272) with 78 tackles (39 solo) to his name and senior nose guard Ben Allred (5'9, 265) who had 66 tackles (29 solo). In the defensive secondary, sr. Nick Perkins (5'11, 172) hauled in four INTs, 62 tackles with 49 of them being solo. Perkins most play OLB/TE this season to compliment Tremain as bookends for the Spartans' defense.

Ambroson said a 4-or-5 man front defensively would appear. In his preseason interview, he expects sr. Jalen Troy to join Allred and Kinder along the defensive line by returning as defensive end and perhaps sr. David Chapman (5'10, 229) at tackle. Seniors Brandon Elkins and Ricky Webb most likely will fill the inside linebackers' role. Webb missed most of last season due to a hip injury, and he will also serve as punter, kicker and place kicker on special teams.

In addition to Perkins, Spartans followers can look for sr. Joe Galaske and jr. Justin Connaway as defensive backs while safeties are juniors Blake Joiner and sophomore Scott Mason.

"There will not be a whole lot of change in the format or kind of things that we do on the football field that hasn't been done in years past. Defensively, we traditionally have been known to be a team that swarms the ball and plays aggressively and I don't think that will be a change. Offensively, a lot of people look at us and think we have been running a spread but actually it's more of a power offense where we run the ball more so than throw it," said Ambroson. "This year we will try to incorporate more of a triple option type stuff on offense because of the kind of personnel we have."

Due to unfortunate circumstances, as an inexperienced sophomore Connaway took over the reigns as varsity quarterback in the last three games of 2011 including the first round of playoffs when Harrisburg ended Moberly season with its 43-0 win.

A year wiser and stronger, the 5'11, 151-pound Connaway has taken great strides during the off season said Ambroson in strengthening his quarterback skills and being a leader. In a limited role last season, Connaway completed 16-of-24 passes for 72 yards and he rushed 18 times for 84.

"Justin has really developed into being a more complete quarterback. He's really worked hard this summer and has taken great strides. He reads the defense pretty well and he's smart. Justin works pretty well rolling out either to throw the football or pitch it," said Ambroson.

Behind Connaway will be all new faces in the backfield, and Ambroson said there will likely be much rotation among new players who will not only be serving as running back, but also inserted at wide receiver or slot position.

Galaske most likely will get more football carries at running back than any other Spartan. However, Mason, Perkins, Joiner and sophomore Gregg Bain will all be in that rotating mix for Connaway to either place the ball in their hands or be a passing target. Perkins returns as the teams the leading receiver having caught 27 passes for 303 yards last season. Elkins will fill the slot position.

Connaway will take snaps from Kinder at center. Guards will be sr. Zach Lipperd (6'1, 238) and Tremain. Tackles are sr. Matt McCune (6'2, 251) and jr. Zach Koenig (6', 218), while Troy will anchor as a tight end.

"I really like the character in this team. We probably are not the most athletic team I've had here, but they work extremely hard and have very good character. We have 60 kids on the roster and we averaged about 55 in the weight room in the off season. That's pretty good. That shows me they are committed," Ambroson said. "I don't know what kind of football team we will be yet, but we have lot of work ahead of us be good football players. I believe in them. I am excited for them and I have a good feeling about what they can accomplish and want to see their personal growth."

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